Drumbeats from the Congo

Drum beats from the Congo

·         Congo Choir- These people know how to sing!   Whether the hymn is sung with accompaniment or not it is sung with gusto.  Last Sunday in church it was announced that the choir would sing.  I noted that only 3 women and 7 men stood to perform.   I was sure it would be a humble rendering.  Ummmmm  well, I will put it this way, those folks could give competition to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.   WOW….what a treat.  The piece was “ I Believe in  Christ” done to perfection.   Loved it.

·         Mops-  All floors in our apartment are tile.  Looking in the “utility” closet I found nothing with which to mop the floor.  There was a squeegee looking type thing, but , “could they possibly mop the floor with a squeegee?”  “I don’t think so”.  Down on all fours I go, (Ro vacuumed so don’t worry he is doing his part)  Then while at a restaurant I noticed a young woman “mopping the floors”  Yup with a squeegee thing just like I have in my apartment.  A bucket of water, a wet chamois draped around the squeegee and a mopping you go.   Aaaaha, I tried it, it works great.   Who needs a mop?  

·         A phone so smart I don’t know how to use it-  We have been issued Samsung smart phones, only we don’t know how to use them.  We will report on that later, if we ever learn that is.

·         Papaya, apple, banana smoothies:  I haven’t ever been that much of a papaya person until now, but when it is fresh and available, OH YUM!  I have to admit though I miss my Oregon blueberry,  and strawberry smoothies.  Plus, I could kill for a handful of walnuts about now.  Anyone coming to the Congo in the near future? 

·         Eric’s wife is about to have a baby, I asked him if he was going to be in the delivery room with her when the baby was born.  The look on his face was stark terror.  When Ro told him he had been with me during the birth of all of our children I  was afraid poor Eric might faint! 

·         Enough to curl my hair?  No I am not referring to the local drivers.  We all know I have stick straight hair, until that is I spend time in Africa.  The humidity level is just the right amount to give me just a touch of curl. 

·         How to pronounce Kinshasa:  Locals are a bit touchy about this so I will make sure you do not commit the error should you ever come to visit..  It is pronounced  Kin SHAW  saw.   It is a finger nails down the black board response when someone pronounces it  Kin Shaw Shaw!   Got it?

·         Thunder and lightening and rain oh my:   Well it is the rainy season here.  I thought that meant that it would rain constantly or almost so each day.   Not really it is more like torrential downpours for an hour or so several times a day.  Hey it is warm rain, who cares,  we are from Oregon we don’t melt.

 

·       I have to say the word PINEAPPLE again.  Picked one up today.  I keep expecting that sometime we will get one that isn’t all that great.  Not yet…… Inexplicably divine!